Rihanna’s made-for-TV Savage x Fenty lingerie show kept under wraps

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Guests forced to part with their phones at event featuring Cara Delevigne, Laverne Cox and the Hadid sisters

Raised cameraphones have become a ubiquitous part of cultural events over the last decade, but for her Savage x Fenty lingerie show, one of the most hyped of this fashion season, Rihanna made sure that couldnt be the case.

Guests arriving at the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn on Tuesday night were required to deposit devices into sealed pouches at the door in large part to make sure the show remains under wraps until 20 September, when it will be exclusively streamed by Amazon Prime across 200 countries and territories, giving it a reach well beyond that of a traditional catwalk.

The show opened with Rihanna and a small group of women standing stock-still on top of podiums before breaking into dance. There were performances by Halsey, A$AP Ferg and DJ Khaled, as well as appearances from models including Alek Wek, Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, Laverne Cox and the Hadid sisters.

Rihanna herself has positioned her underwear extravaganza as stepping into the vacuum being left behind by the Victorias Secret show. Usually a big event in the fashion calendar, this year it is absent as the brand battles with its associations with influential financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as well as ongoing but increasingly loud criticisms about its archaic take on womens underwear.

The line, which is being sold through Amazon Fashion, remains separate from the rest of Rihannas fashion offerings, which fall under the umbrella of the luxury conglomerate LMVH, speaking to the clout she has in the industry.